What A Difference A Day Makes
by cheekyincubus
Summary: Tonk's and Snape share a moment in the Potions classroom.[repost]


Disclaimer- All recognized names and places belong to J.K. Rowling.

What A Difference A Day Makes

Severus Snape sat quietly in his Potions classroom office, pouring over his latest issue of _Potion's Master Quarterly,_ deeply engaged in a discovery of a new genetic breed of Gillyweed and Wolfsbane when he heard an all too familiar voice.

"Harry? Harry are you-" Nymphadora Tonks stood in the doorway of the classroom "Oh, hello Severus. I didn't expect to see you here." She said smiling and absently twisting her fingers in her long bubble gum pink curls.

Snape sighed, "This is the Potions classroom and I am the Potions master." He mumbled nonchalantly, without looking up from his magazine.

"That's so funny." Tonks chuckled nervously.

Snape glanced up from the magazine suspiciously for a brief moment.

"Any way," Tonks continued, "What are you reading?" she asked moving into the room.

Eyes still on his article, Snape taped at the cover of the magazine bearing its name.

"Ahh yes." She said.

An awkward silence filled the room as Tonks ran her fingers over various jars and bottles in the room.

"Hey, what's this?" she said tapping a little too strongly at one jar.

"No! Don't!" Snape said dropping his magazine.

But it was too late the heavy glass toppled off of its burning stand, causing its contents to spill on the desk and all over Tonks hands.

"Oh dear," she said exasperatedly," Severus I'm so, so, so sorry."

Snape pushed past her to survey the mess "Must you all ways be a clumsy, bumbling, oaf?" he shouted.

Tears began to well up in the corners of Tonks big, purple eyes, " I said I was sorry. Must _you_ always be so foul to everyone?"

Snape sneered at her and pulled out his wand pointing it at the mess. "_Scourgify!_" He tapped a piece of the broken glass "_Repairo!_"

"Um, Severus?" Tonks squeaked.

"What is it now?" Snape turned around grimacing. He stopped short when he saw Tonks hand which was now completely transparent.

"What's happened to my hand?" She asked nervously. "What exactly was in that jar?"

"Hush you silly woman!" Snape said grabbing her arm and pulling him to her.

Tonks stood silently as Snape examined her hand, or lack-there-of.

A flicker of a smile passed over his sharp face as he ran his fingers over the surface of Tonks' invisible palm. "It works." He muttered.

"What works?" Tonks asked confused.

But her question went unanswered; Snape dropped her hand and strode quickly to his desk to retrieve some parchment and a quill.

"Tell me, how do you feel Nymphadora?" he asked while his quill flew across the parchment.

"Ugh, why do you all insist on calling me that? It's Tonks! My name is Tonks." She said stressing her name.

"Just answer the question you silly little bint." Snape said impassively.

"Hey!" she warned, pointing an invisible finger at him. "You can't talk to me that way! I'm not one of your students, and I'm certainly not afraid of you Severus Snape!"

Snape sat down his quill and shot her one of his trademark death glares.

Tonks simply crossed her arms and stuck her chin defiantly in the air.

Snape sighed. He couldn't believe he was actually going to do this "Nymph- Tonks. I apologize for my rudeness, but you must understand, it is crucial I know the effects of this potion at once!" he said, his patience wearing thin.

Tonks smiled at him and stuck out her hand "Much better."

Snape ignored her and continued writing down observations. "How do you feel?"

"Good, and your self?" Tonks snorted.

Snape looked at her, she could tell he was getting peeved. " I mean your hand."

"I know, I know. It's fine really just a bit of a tingle at first. Like a feather running across my hand, but as soon as it went transparent I didn't feel it any longer."

She looked at Snape who had his face so close to the parchment she could have sworn on he would come up with ink stains on his nose.

"Anything else?" He asked lifting his head to look at her hand once more.

"No, not really," she began but stopped when she noticed that there was indeed a large smudged of black ink on the tip of Snape's nose.

Snape furrowed his brow when Tonks began to double over with laughter.

"What?" He asked.

Tonks threw her hands into the air in mock surrender. "Nothing, it's just… you have a bit of ink on your nose."

Snape sneered at her and rubbed his nose, but this of course only made the smudge spread to his cheeks.

"Here, let me help." Tonks said moving closer to him.

"No, that won't be necessary." Snape said putting his hands out to stop her.

"Don't be silly." Tonks said licking the hem of her robes.

"No really, I-" Snape began but was cut short when she began to rub her robe on his face.

Snape gently tried to push her hands away from him, which only caused her rubbing to be harsher on his face.

"It doesn't seem to want to come off." She said giving and aggravated chuckle. She gave another vigorous scrub and Snape gripped her wrists and stilled her movements.

"Please, STOP!" he said staring at her.

"Okay, okay" she mumbled, "I was just trying to help."

Snape released her and disappeared to the sink in the supply room.

Tonks sighed and sat on his desk "What is this potion anyway?" she asked running her invisible hand through her hand.

Snape rolled his eyes and splashed some water on his face. "Just an invisibility potion." He mumbled.

Tonks gasped as realization passed over her. "You mean _the_ invisibility potion? The one Dumbledore says you've been working on for the past two years?" she asked.

"Yes that one. The same one you knocked all over my floor." Snape said coming back in rubbing a wet cloth over his face.

Tonks looked down and blushed, "I am terribly sorry for that Severus." She said quietly.

"Don't be," Snape said standing in front of her " You've become the perfect test specimen."

Tonks looked up and smiled brightly at him.

Snape quickly adverted his gaze, "Well I think I should get to work on a counter potion."

Tonks watched as Snape combined a number of ingredients in a nearby cauldron.

"What are you doing here at the school anyway?" Snape asked trying to shake the feeling of being stared at off of him.

"Huh?" Tonks asked shaking her head, "Oh yes, I'm helping Remus with a few lessons on Concealment and Disguise. I got top marks on that in Auror training you know?"

"So I've heard." Snape said absently stirring the now bubbling potion.

"I came down here looking for Harry. Draco told me he might be down here. He's my cousin you know? On my mother's side, but were not very close."

"Yes I know." Snape sighed.

Tonks chewed on an invisible fingernail and stared off into space. A few minutes later Snape broke the silence "This should do it. Hold out your hand."

Tonks shot her hand out.

Snape sighed and looked up at the sky "The invisible one, Nymphadora."

"Oh!" She blushed, "And it's Tonks!" she said a bit more sternly.

Snape moved in front of her with a cloth dampened with the counter potion. He took her hand wiped it completely with the cloth.

Snape held on to her hand a bit more waiting for the potion to take effect, but nothing happened.

"What does this mean?" Tonks asked searching for his eyes.

Snape looked up and meet her gaze, "I'm not sure." Snape answered quietly.

They stared at each other, one lost in the other's eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Tonks asked, trying to find strength in her voice.

"Your eyes." Snape said, squinting as if trying to decipher a hidden message in her eyes.

"What about them?" Tonks asked, touching her cheek just below left eye.

" I must have seen them a million times before, but I don't think I've ever noticed how the blue lines are always present no matter what color you change them too." Snape said suddenly.

Tonks stared up at him a moment more. Her eyes began to well up like they had a few moments before when he had insulted her. Snape reprimanded himself in his head for insulting her again, but his thoughts were cut short with the feeling of Tonks' lips on his.

Snape's eyes widened as Tonks wrapped her hands around his neck to pull him closer.

He placed his hands on her waist with every intention of pushing her away, but lost his concentration when her tongue glided past his. His eyes rolled back in his head as his lids closed and his body took over and he kissed Tonks back passionately. He struggled to remember the last time he had kissed any one-or been kissed by anyone like this. It was much to far back to remember and-wait. Was that strawberry he was tasting? Tonks was wearing strawberry lip-gloss. He was kissing Tonks. Snape thought of pushing her off but decided against it when she let out a slight whimper. She obviously didn't mind so why would he stop? He felt like a teenager again, whatever that felt like. He could deal with the consequences much later. Or was that sooner?

Their passionate display of affection was cut short by the sound of a gasp and a school bag hitting the ground.

Snape and Tonks quickly pushed away from each other and stared at Ginny Weasley, who was blushing and chuckling, and Harry Potter who was staring at them both slack jawed.

"Hey, Harry! Hey, Ginny!" Tonks said as if not had just transpired.

Ginny giggled and slapped her hand over mouth.

"Mr. Potter, Miss. Weasley." Snape said toneless, He and Harry doing a spectacular job of avoiding each other's gazes.

Harry began speaking as Ginny tried to subdue her laughter but lost it when she caught a glimpse of Snape's and Tonks' flushed faces.

"Professor Dumbledore sent us to come get Tonks for dinner." Harry said staring at a very interesting aspect of his shoes.

"Oh good!" Tonks said hopping off the desk, "I'm starved." She walked over to Harry and Ginny. She stuck her elbow out to Ginny, smiling down at the girl. She knew Ginny admired her more than any other girl she knew and thought it best to seem powerful and confident in front of the boys. "I'll see you at dinner, Severus?" she called over her shoulder.

Snape simply nodded and watched as Tonks and Ginny left the dungeons for the great hall.

Harry and Snape stood in the classroom silently, digging their toes in the ground and rocking back and forth on their heels for a moment more.

Harry moved to pick up his fallen bag and Snape finally spoke. "Mr. Potter, I would greatly appreciate it if you could use a certain amount of discretion with this matter."

Harry smirked at Snape's new position. The potions master had never spoken to him in such a cool, but nervous tone before. He took a moment to think of all the possible ways to use this to his advantaged, and to see how much he could actually get the Potions Master to sweat.

But in the end Harry simply said, "What matter, professor?" Harry smiled and strode out of the classroom.

Snape strode into the Great Hall with his usual cool demeanor. He was half way to the Professors when he noticed that the hall was completely silent for the low hum of whispers.

He stopped and looked at each of the house tables. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were oblivious but the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables where just humming with mumblings.

He chanced a glance at Harry, who simply shrugged his shoulders and mouth "Not me."

Snape sneered at him and turn back in the direction of the Head table. As he walked he heard fragments of whispers.

"… Kissed Tonks…"

"…. Girl with pink hair…"

"… Ginny said so…."

He would get the youngest Weasley for that. Snape began to brainstorm a plethora of punishments for the girl when he realized that something was amiss at the Head table.

His seat, which usually resided on the right of Dumbledore, was being occupied by Tonks but the seat next to her was empty. Lupin and the other teachers on the right side of Dumbledore had all moved down a space to accommodate a space next to Tonks. That could only mean one thing… the staff knew.

He chanced a glance at McGonagall who was smiling broadly him like a Cheshire cat, then a Hagrid who winked at him, Sprout who clasped her hands together and smiled after Flitwick whispered in her ear, Lupin who contracted a fit of coughing when he met Snape's gaze, who he sincerely hoped was choking on a spaghetti noodle, and finally at Dumbledore, who did not chuckle or whisper but simply gave him a satiated nod and continued his conversation with McGonagall.

Snape took his seat next to Tonks and focused all his attention on his plate.

"Severus." Tonks whispered a few moments later.

"Yes?" Snape said without looking up at her.

"Look. My hand has come back." She said.

Snape's head shot up and looked at Tonks as she wiggled five perfectly visible fingers at him.

Snape quickly grabbed her hand and examined it. A new wave of whispers spread through the great hall. Oblivious to the fact that students and teachers a like were staring at he and Tonks, Snape rubbed his thumb over her palm.

"Um, Severus…" Tonks said.

"Yes?" Snape said still deeply entranced with her hand.

"Every one is staring at us." She whispered.

Snape looked up and ran his eyes over the Great Hall. He dropped her hand and went back to his dinner.

"I think they know about us." Tonks said in hushed tone.

"And what is there to know?" Snape said looking everywhere but at Tonks. He silently cursed himself for sounding so cruel.

He felt Tonks' eyes boring holes on the side of his head but he refused to look at her.

Tonks threw down her napkin and stood up "Dumbledore, I think I'll take my leave now."

Dumbledore nodded and patted her hand, "Yes of course dear."

Tonks threw on her cloak and one her way from the table gave a rough, and in Snape's opinion, a rather immature shove.

All eyes were on Tonks and she marched determinedly out of the Great Hall and then went back to Snape, who was shoving food into his mouth so determinedly one would have thought he hadn't eaten in days.

"Severus," Dumbledore said leaning over. "I think you should go see if our guest, Miss Tonks is feeling well."

Snape shot the headmaster a pleading gaze but slumped and pushed his chair back.

Tonks stared out the window just outside of the Great hall over looking the lake. The moon was reflected perfectly over its calm surface. She really had no idea why she was so upset over Snape.

She heard a voice clear behind her. _"Speak of the Devil, and he shall come."_ She thought.

"Nymphadora…"Snape said.

Tonks had never used an Unforgivable Curse before, but a certain silky-voiced potions master was pushing her too far to her limit.

"I mean Tonks!" Snape corrected himself quickly. "Dumbledore has sent me to make sure your okay.

"I'm fine." She said shortly.

Snape turned to head back, his mission completed he was off scott-free. Suddenly a feeling hit him hard in the stomach, and for a moment he thought Tonks may had jinxed him but no, this was vaguely familiar, it was his own damned guilt that had stopped him dead in his tracks. He remembered the feeling from when he had called Lily Evans a Mudblood for no reason in his fifth year and now it seemed to be ten times stronger.

"Are you sure don't want to talk?" He asked.

"And what is there to talk about?" Tonks said turning around.

Snape winced at the sting of his own words.

"Oh you mean that kiss in the potions classroom?" Tonks said in a mocking tone. "Don't worry about that Severus. This 'silly little bint' won't bother you any more about it." She said pushing past him.

Snape grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, "Look I'm sorry about what I said but you should know that I only said that because you should nothing could ever happen with 'us'."

"And why is that, because you're heartless and cold? She asked sticking her chin out in defiance.

Anger flashed in Snape's eyes, " No, because you're a silly little girl!"

"Decrepit old man…"

"Slack-jawed, bumbling half-blood…"

"Inbred, up-tight pureblood snot…"

The both stopped and growled at each other.

Tonks attempted to yank her arm free, but Snape just pulled her closer. He could feel puffs of her warm breath his bottom lip.

Neither one of them was sure who moved in first but soon they were kissing again. This kiss even more passionate than the first. Tonks tugging at his hair, and Snape losing his finger in hers.

Inside the Great Hall, Professor Dumbledore silently counted to sixty and tapped his wand in the direction of the Great Hall's massive doors which slowly opened to reveal a very disheveled Snape and Tonks still in the midst of their kiss.

Dumbledore smiled as the student and teachers began to clap, whoot and give catcalls to the oblivious couple.


End file.
